


don't pass me by

by Sybill



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, First Meetings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-24
Updated: 2014-10-24
Packaged: 2018-02-22 09:26:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2502839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sybill/pseuds/Sybill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Toby's brought back a new press secretary from California, and Abbey's in for a bit of a surprise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	don't pass me by

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Miri Cleo (miri_cleo)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/miri_cleo/gifts).



Abbey’s first impression of the woman Toby had brought from California was that she was tall. Very tall.

She knew who Cregg was, of course. EMILY’s List did good work, and Cregg’s name had come up on her radar more than once. But she’d never met the woman, and last Abbey had heard, she’d been working in Hollywood, land of omnipresent cameras and megawatt smiles and year-round suntans. 

_Sounds a bit like politics_ , she thought, and stepped forward to shake Cregg’s hand. “Hello, I’m Abbey Barrington, the ringleader of this circus.”

Cregg’s grip was strong, but not crushing. Abbey liked that in a person – strength, but not the urge to crush people just to show that you could. “C.J. Cregg. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Governor Barrington.”

“Come into my office, C.J., won’t you? Toby’s been singing your praises for the last hour.”

He hadn’t, really, for most of the time he’d been fighting with Leo again about the D section in her stump speech, but Abbey thought it best to leave that part out. And he _had_ told Leo with the strongest possible emphasis that they needed a press secretary.

Abbey just hadn’t expected the press secretary he’d acquired for her to be quite so – attractive.

~

“Something bothering you?”

Abbey looked up from the polls she was only half reading. “You finished working out the numbers with Josh?”

“Yeah,” Leo said. “You looked like you were in another world there. Seeing visions now?”

Abbey felt her mouth turning up into a wicked little smile. “I’ve seen _a_ vision.”

Leo was the smartest man Abbey knew, and she was best friends with his partner the Nobel Laureate. “The new press secretary? C.J.?” 

She nodded, leaning back in her chair. “When Toby said she’d been working in Hollywood, I didn’t realize he meant she should be _starring_ in Hollywood.”

“She’s funny, too,” Leo said. “Well, that would be one way to blunt the criticism about you being a single woman…”

“Oh, shut up,” Abbey said, and looked for a balled-up speech draft to throw at him.

“Very eloquent, Governor,” Leo said, and prudently vacated her office.

~

_two years later_

“When you’re asked about why the schedule got delayed,” Abbey said, pulling off her pantyhose, “tell them a meeting went over.”

“Lie to the press?” C.J. said, innocently, her arms folded underneath her head. “Why, Madam President, that would be criminal.”

Abbey slapped her bare thigh. “I don’t know why I put up with you.”

“I can think of a few reasons,” C.J. said, and proceeded to rumple her skirt beyond all saving.


End file.
